William a



@mit rang anni *intra IMPROV'BD BOAT-DETAGHING' TAGKIiE. v

dige Schwule nient tu in gese tetters zmnt mit mating met nf tige smut.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. DEVON, of Port Richmond, in the connty .of Richmond, and State of New i York, have invented acertain new and useful improvement on Detaching-Hcoks applicable to the raising and lowering of shipsf boats and other pur-poses, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being hadY to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specication, in which- Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a ships boat with myA improved hook applied thereto.

Figure 2, a transverse section of the same with the/hook attached to the da'vit falls of a ship; and

Figures 3 and 4, views at rightangles to each other, on an enlarged scale, ofsaid hook, detached.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the several `figures. I

The nature of my invention, in detaching or locking and unlocking hooks, consists in a combination of aA camshaped lever clasp, pivoted so as to operate in a swinging mannenwitha hook formed of two jaws, vthe one of which is pivoted to the other, and in connection with ywhich is a spring for opening the hook when the clasp above referred to is shot or thrown back, said clasp forming an easy and perfect lock to close and'secure the hook in its shut condition.

Referring Ato the accompanying drawing, A represents the one-'jawl or portionv` of the hook, which jaw may be stationary, by its leg, I), being secured through a bracket, a,- or otherwise, to a iired portion ofthe boat or' Aother vehicle or object to which it is designed to apply the hook. Pivoted by a bolt, screw, or rivet, d, to this stationary jaw is a movable jaw, B, provided with a leg, e, said jaws when shut forming a close ring or eye as represented in h'gs. 2 and 4, but opening, at least the one jaw, when required, as represented by red lines in fig. 4; a spring f, of any suitable kind and arrangement or disposition, serving, when the jaws are unlocked,

'to-throw and keep open the movable jaw. Pivoted also, say to the stationary jaw, as at g, is a'clasp, C, made' with a cam-shaped lever, t, at its side adjacent to the leg of'the movable jaw, and playing against or across the outside of said leg, while its opposite vside is provided with a cheek or facepiece, z', that laps over or outside of the Vleg of the stationary jaw as a xture, that is, when the clasp is shut to lock-the hook. The arm or lever, Zt, is so shaped as that, when the clasp is thrown back, its cam or inclined front portion aifords space for-the play of the leg e of the movable jaw in being Opened by the -spring f, but on swinging forward or closing the clasp,

thensaid cam inclined front portion, which should be rounded oif on its inside face, bears graduallyand easily on the leg e of the movable jaw to close it, and by its straight or dierent configuration at'its rear end,

said lever, h, acting in connection with the cheek or face-piece z', serves, when the jaws are closed, to eiectually.v

and securely keep them' so, and so that no weight o1'- lifting strain thrownpn the hook will exert any tendency 'to open the clasp. A hook thus constructed will be found an advantageous and secure arrangement for many purposes, including drop-press attachments, car-couplings, and others. Applied as'a locking and unlocking device to ships boats to facilitate the secure raising and lowering of them 'with ease and rapidity of action, the hooks at opposite ends of the boat, D, :may be openedsimultancously to detach them fromythe falls Aby pulling on a rod, rope, or chain, k, connected by chains and rods, Z, or their equivalents, with the rear ends ofthe clasps, C, which forms a quick, sure, and easy mode of detachment, While to close the. hooks V'again in gear with the falls, it is only necessary to pull, 'by-ropes or chains m, on the levers Av7L of the clasps, which causes the'latte' to close and lock the hooks. In some cases the springj' may be dispensed with, and the cam-shaped lever -7L be arranged to pass through a slot in the leg of the movable jaw, so as not'only lte close the hook when thiejcllasp' is shot forward, but also,- when thrown hack, to open it.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- The combination of the jaws A and B, of the pivoted locking clasp 'C-with its cam=shaped lever L, and cheek or face-piece z', for operation on the jaws, substantially as specified.

WILLIAM A. DEVON. Witnesses: l

A. Ln CLERC, Y, J. W. Coonns. 

